The Sewing Place

Knip Mode faux wrap dress

dolcevita

Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« on: May 17, 2019, 10:56:10 AM »
My time and attention has been diverted from sewing for the last 18 months (not for any bad reasons) but I'm close to the end of that commitment now and some sewing has recommenced, which is just as well as I need lots of new clothes.

I've been subscribing to a Dutch sewing magazine, Knip Mode, for a couple of years.  It's not bad and does have some nice jersey dress patterns in it.  If anyone is interested in it, they often run incredibly cheap deals on their subscriptions, and they also run up to large sizes - the size range of their patterns generally goes from 34 to 52 and their sizing is larger than Burda.  Anyhow, I recently made a knit dress from an older issue as I had a special occasion Sunday lunch to go out to and just had to have a new dress to wear.  The jersey was bought a couple of years ago from Fabricland and has finally been liberated from the stash. The dress itself was an easy sew, mostly made on the overlocker and a twin needle rather than my coverstitch, which I'm deeply out of love with right now.

Here's the dress.


b15erk

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2019, 10:58:19 AM »
Good to have you back DV, and look forward to seeing some of your projects.

Beautiful dress.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

dolcevita

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2019, 11:07:18 AM »
Thanks, Jessie.  I have really, really missed my sewing time so it's great to be tracing patterns, cutting cloth and sitting behind a machine again.  Even better to have new clothes to wear!  0_0

Elnnina

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2019, 12:59:22 PM »
I've missed seeing posts from you too, so now we know why.  Your dress is lovely and so pleased that you can now get back in to sewing - so enjoy this and enjoy your new wardrobe.

Ohsewsimple

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2019, 15:09:36 PM »
Nice to see you’re sewing again DV.  Hope things are a bit easier.
What is wrong with the coverstitch machine?  Which one have you got?

dolcevita

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2019, 16:03:23 PM »
Thanks, ladies.  Watch this space as there will be plenty more garments coming along, out of necessity as much as anything else!

Ohsewsimple, I have the ubiquitous Janome coverstitch machine.  It's not that it won't sew a hem, but I find that the hems don't last and often come undone within a couple of months.  The thing is, I'm not wild about twin needles, either, and hate the way the fabric can shift with the stitching, almost gathering on some finer fabrics.  I blush to admit that I've recently been reminding myself of the joys of pinking shears!  I bought a new pair recently to cut some cotton fabric to make beeswax wraps (I'm trying to reduce my use of clingfilm) and so they are nice and sharp and have done a perfectly good job on a blouse I'm putting the buttons onto this afternoon.  Some times, the old ways are the best.

Morzel

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2019, 16:13:00 PM »
@dolcevita , what a nice dress you made! Wonderful fabric - I should think the dress versatile. Not too colourful, but not too monochrome. For summer daytime, but also for sunday church or a dinner. A really good start back into sewing.
Eva

Ohsewsimple

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2019, 18:08:40 PM »
@dolcevita I found that the hems come undone if you don’t tie them off.  I know they say that as long as the threads go to the back it's tied off but I found that was a load of rubbish.  So I make sure all threads are on the wrong side, tie them in a double knot then thread them on a needle and pass them through the hem to finish off.  Mine have been going through the wash till the fabric starts to go into holes.   :o
I’m with you on the twin needle.  I think a triple zig zag is better and easier.  I think some old methods are good too but my pinking shears are a bit naff.  Mostly used for demo's. 

Manuela

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2019, 02:08:55 AM »
Gorgeous dress @dolcevita. Being short waisted, I don’t really like wrap dresses (faux or real). I’ve made a few and they fit, but I never really wear them. I do like them on others.

Morzel

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2019, 09:21:32 AM »
@dolcevita I found that the hems come undone if you don’t tie them off. 

Definitely true. I always tie them off in the back and they don't come undone, with children wearing and tearing the garments! Only when the thread brakes does it unravel... Which happens when using thread that breaks or having too much tension on the thread when sewing (the stretchier the fabric, the less tension I use). The hem has to stretch about as much as the fabric does. Usually I start with lowering the tension on the lower thread, if needs be also then on the upper threads.
Eva

Bodgeitandscarper

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2019, 10:08:28 AM »
I had to get rid of my Janome coverstitch, I got so fed up of the stitches not quite locking and then obviously coming undone as things were worn.  It does help if you make sure all the stitches go through two layers of fabric, rather than trying to encase the edge of the hem.
I now have a Babylock BLCS2, it stitches much better.  Expensive, but I make mostly jersey tops so I need it  0_0

Ohsewsimple

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2019, 10:43:09 AM »
Love my Babylock @Bodgeitandscarper.  Not cheap but worth every penny.  Don’t usually have to faff around with the settings much.

dolcevita

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2019, 20:24:45 PM »
@dolcevita  So I make sure all threads are on the wrong side, tie them in a double knot then thread them on a needle and pass them through the hem to finish off.  Mine have been going through the wash till the fabric starts to go into holes.   :o

Ah, but you know me, @Ohsewsimple - asking me to tie off coverstitch threads is like asking me to read instructions before plunging head-long into something.  One day I may get the patience for these things.

Ohsewsimple

Re: Knip Mode faux wrap dress
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2019, 22:25:23 PM »
Ah, but you know me, @Ohsewsimple - asking me to tie off coverstitch threads is like asking me to read instructions before plunging head-long into something.  One day I may get the patience for these things.

Haha.  Ok you got me there! :)  Not reading instructions? Please tell me you’ve at least looked at those that came with your wonderful Pfaff.  Or are you like all those I had to deal with on a daily basis?